All That Squeak Are Not Rain Boots

Saturday, July 13, 2013

I have been in San Diego, California for the past week and boy, was it different from Michigan. This wasn't the first time I've been to San Diego, but this time I was old enough to remember. I kind of see the appeal of why people like to live there, and want to move there, etc. But it definitely isn't a place I see myself living in this lifetime. I love the snow too much to leave the Midwest.

This past week I spent some time with family that I haven't seen in a while, including an adorable relatively recent addition.

Being in SoCal reminded me of some places I would like to visit and soon. (This list is in no particular order.)

1. Hawaii, U.S.A.
This is probably the number one place in the United States that I wish to visit. Mostly because I want to experience Hawaii like Lilo from the Disney movie, Lilo and Stitch.

2. Dubai, U.A.E.

I've always wanted to go see the man made creations in the city of Dubai and go to the annual Dubai Shopping Festival. Who wouldn't want to celebrate consumerism as an annual festival?

3. Bora Bora, French Polynesia

Have you seen the Google images of Bora Bora? It looks like perpetual paradise. If I were ever to go there, I need a year or 6 months notice in advance to get in beach-body shape.

4. New Zealand

One of my biggest reasons for wanting to go to New Zealand is because of the beautiful landscape. Lord of the Rings and a few other movies exposed everyone to the natural beauty that is New Zealand.

5. Romance-speaking Europe

These countries include France, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, etc. I would love to see all of these places because of the vast history they have behind them. I love historical tours and museums and what better place to be than a continent full of them.

These are just 5 of the top places I would like to go but there are so many more like Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, etc. If I have the means, I will most definitely go everywhere.

Sorry for the short and late post. I didn't feel like posting it even though I finished writing it a few days ago. I hope you like it. I know it's pretty laid back, but my mind is on vacation.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer.

To answer the question from the last post:

One thing that I am very grateful for is my better half. I can say this because I notice that I am slowly but surely turning into the person I wish to be within the next 3-5 years and I couldn't have started this change for the better without him. He helps me in the most difficult situations and is always there for me. I hope everyone can find someone this loving and understanding in their life. Enough mushy-ness.

New Question:

Where is the number one place in the world that you would like to visit, and why?

Monday, June 24, 2013

If you haven't noticed already, there is a countdown on the left of this post until I officially move to Chicago! I can't believe it's happening. It started out as a little girl's dream that one day she would live in a big city, and in (place current count down number here) she will!

As much as I wish time would go by just a little bit faster, I don't want to end up in a position where everything just flew by me and all that is left are fading memories of the greatest days of my life.

Today I decided to write down a few things that I am grateful for. Everyone should do this exercise, whether you do it every night or once a week, you should make an effort to pick up a pen and a piece of paper or a notebook and write down all the things you are grateful for. You don't want to be the person that knows the value of what they lost, after they have lost it.

I'm going to try to write down a few things that other people can relate to.

What I am grateful for (in no particular order):1. An education - My parents didn't have to give me an education as far as they did. Given it is required by law that all children go to school, they didn't have to pay for my college education and push me to educate myself for my own sake.

2. Family members - As much as they can be a pain in your feather pin (Tweety Bird reference), they mean you well (for the most part). Not all family members, but most of us can count on our immediate family to provide us with (tough) love and well wishes. Yes, you will fight and yell and want to pack your bags and leave, but if they really didn't love you, you wouldn't be where you are now, that is to say you are in better position that Tweety here.

3. A bed / sleep - I assure you that everyone of you is grateful for this, unless it is infested with bed bugs. Shared or not, it's what keeps you alive and rejuvenates you to keep you going everyday.

4. Your friends / significant other - Whether you have a significant other is not what is important. It's about who is willing to love you and care for you. We don't function very well in isolation, so be thankful that you have people who keep you sane (or not).

5. Feelings - The ability to feel emotions such as happiness, love, and all those other wonderful feelings is something we should be grateful for. There are things we take for granted, and this is one of those things.

6. Food!- We are so lucky to have food to eat anytime we want and to be able to buy the not only the food that we need but food that we want as well. We get to sleep with full tummies every night and wake up to the thought of a balanced breakfast. Not everyone in the world can afford food like we do.

7. Our present day technology - Through the ingenious work of scientists and engineers and people who realized that necessity is the mother of invention, we have been able to make our lives easier and easier everyday. We have the ability to learn online and research any topic that interests us through sites like Google. It's not often that we thank our stars for the technology we have like cars, phones, computers, etc. But we owe a lot of what we know today to those people that took the initiative to do what others couldn't.

8. Police, EMT, firefighters & doctors - Without the help and protection of these people, we wouldn't live to the average age that humans currently do. A lot of people may hate cops, but they are doing their duty to keeping citizens within the limits of the law. In the past so many people have suffered with ailments and other issues such as fires and accidents due to the lack of organization of hospitals, police stations, etc. I know that it's sometimes hard to accept this due to terrible things that can happen to loved ones, but remember that these people didn't decide to take a normal 9 to 5 job and come home to their family like everyone else. That's pretty noble don't you think?

9. Books - Books are something I'm really grateful for. It's so incredible how a book can take you out of everything you know and put you in a world and through adventures and knowledge that keep us learning something new everyday.

10. Jobs / Job opportunities - As much as people say finding a job is hard, a lot of us find it fairly easy to pick up a job and complain about it. We are so lucky to have any job opportunity because without it, we wouldn't the money to get what we want and take care of ourselves and the people we love.

There you have it, a basic list of the things I am thankful for. I hope you found that you are thankful for these things as well and more!

I hope you decide to write a journal about everything you grateful for, even the little things like gum or dust bunnies. I don't know why any of you would be grateful for dust bunnies, but if that is what you are grateful for, write it down!

To answer the question from the last post: My favorite book(s) growing up were the HARRY POTTER series!

The reason why this was my favorite book growing was was because when I was about 7 years old, I was in a Marshal Fields sitting with my parents while they bought furniture for our new house. I was so bored but I didn't complain, but my mom went to a book store that was inside the store and she picked up this book, wrote in it and handed it to me. It was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I fell in love with it and it's what pushed me to keep reading. I actually struggled with reading for a long time, and this was a book that made me understand the joys of reading. Thank you, mother & thank you, J.K. Rowling.

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Moving is a BIG task, my little birds. So much to do, so much to remember. I guess this is what is is like to be a "grown-up." Wrong.

I am anything but grow-up, that is if I go by the societal definition of what an adult is. People can call me an adult and tell me that I've grown to be a wonderful young lady, little do they know, that in my free time I watch Spongebob and sleep without a care in the world.

I actually don't sleep without a care in the world. You know those teachers that ask you (redundantly, of course), "Don't you stay up at night, wondering about these things?" I can honestly answer yes to that question. I do actually stay up wondering about various questions that enter my mind, fortunately it doesn't last all night.

One of the questions that enters my mind quite frequently is, when exactly, does one turn from child to adult? Is there a specific point? A literal second? Are there a series of steps or tasks to complete before you graduate to adulthood? I don't know if anyone says, "Ah, I completed my very first set of taxes, and today I am an adult." Ugh. I don't want that to be what determines my adult-tude-ness-ism. Why does being an adult mean that you have to be serious about life? Why do adults have to "settle" down? I hate that word, settle. It makes it sound like the world is over, there is nothing left to do, so you give in to the ways of the world and just watch it. Nope, I won't accept it.

To me, being an adult is (obviously, not what I am), but letting go of arguments that get people nowhere, sincerely forgiving someone who hurt you, thinking before you act, prioritizing what is important, accepting and taking responsibility for your actions, being able to stand up for your values and what you believe in, and not forgetting to smile.

Being an adult, does NOT mean to be rude, look down upon others, forgoing your principles, or to think your seniority demands respect.

Being an adult is not based on your age, the amount of money in your pocket / bank, the kind of job you have, the size of your house, the price of your material possessions, or the level of your education.

Unfortunately being an adult also has a negative connotation to it, because of how people portray the life of an adult: boring, exhausting, unhappy, etc.

However, one of the biggest perks of being an adult, is the ability to make your own decisions, take responsibility for them and to chase after your dreams and ambitions for as far as you can take them.

So remember, my darlings, being an adult isn't a bad thing, it's being the best you can be and helping people to being the best they can be.

It is time for me to take responsibility for my actions, and apologize for skipping so many weeks. Life gets busy. I promise to try to write as often as I can.

To answer the question from last time: The craziest dream that has ever come true is my acceptance to UIC. I know it doesn't seem like a big deal, but I know that getting accepted was the start of a my life as an individual and it's the first of many dreams to come true.

By the way, my title refers to how my television show habits have evolved. The most grown up show I watch is Game of Thrones, and the least is probably Spongebob Squarepants.

This week's question:

What was your favorite book growing up?

Be good! Much love.

P.S. I want to thank my special someone, for pushing me to write this week and for giving me his input on this subject.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Sorry for the late post everyone! This weekend was full of amazing happenings!

First off, the greatest thing ever happened to me. I have wanted to be in Chicago for such a significant part of my life and it has finally come true. I got accepted into the college I applied to and I am SOOO thrilled!

I'm ready to start my life just the way I like it.

Let me be the million and third person to tell you dreams come true. They REALLY come true! And they don't come true by doing nothing. Dreams come with hard, sincere work and passion for what you are dreaming of. My chances of getting into this school seemed minuscule because of how I poorly I performed in my first year of college. I realize the hard work really does pay off. I haven't seen my hard work pay off in a very, very long time, and I now understand the the Universe does work in my favor.

But not just my favor, the Universe can work in your favor too. Just show it what you want, show the Universe with your hard work and positive thoughts and energy that you want it. And you will get whatever your heart desires.

The Impossible Dream by the incredible Sinatra

Except a few things, like you can't turn into a giraffe, or a gift box.

Or a giraffe in a gift box.

Please believe in yourselves, even if no one does. I understand that there are dreams and goals that people never want to share with others. Maybe it's because you're embarrassed to have such a dream which you shouldn't be! tsk tsk) or maybe you think it's too ridiculous for yourself to achieve (which it isn't!), or you just don't want anyone to jinx it (I personally believe that, so if you believe that, that's okay, but tell someone who is a sincere well-wisher).

Sometimes, there are setbacks. Boy, do I know about setbacks. So many sets of backs. Wait, what?

When there is a setback you absolutely HAVE to remember that it is not the end of the world, or the end of anything.

Sorry, not sorry.

Keep going. Seriously, don't let it get you down, it's going to be okay. You're going to get to where you want to be. I am proof of this! I'm going to my dream city, and to a great college! I'm so happy! Yaaa!!! So much hoopla!! I don't know how to use this word at the current moment...

Good luck to everyone with all your endeavors! I promise to be more timely with these posts. I hope it's not causing anyone to hate me for it.

Remember, if you can believe it, you can achieve it.

The answer to last weeks question:

My hidden talent is my ability to play Monopoly with my toes. Gross, I know. I can roll dice, pick up and move tokens, place houses in straight lines. The only thing I can't do is pick up money and chance cards.

It was sad to see only one response to this question. I'm hoping it's because no one could think of one, not because they don't like my blog anymore. Anyway, let bygones be bygones.

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Let me begin by apologizing for the pointless post last week. When I said my mind was outside, it really was.

On a side note, I apologize for this post because it was complete and posted earlier in the day and for some reason it disappeared. I am sorry for the inconsistencies with what you read before. I'm not very happy that this happened.

I turn into this adorable puppy when I apologize.

This week I want to talk about some difficult topics. All of them surrounding the question: Why?

A lot of terrible things happen around us, to us, and to people we care about. And we are taught by example to worry and stress over these situations. The only thing worry and stress has ever brought us is thought paralysis. What happens when a loved one dies, or when you lose your job, or when you don't get what you want? We stress and worry and cry all with the one thought: What will happen to me?

Deny it all you like. A large part of your thought is revolving around yourself. We all do it. You do it, I do it, your parents do it, your friends do it, people you have never met do it. We always think about ourselves. I do not mean that people don't ever think about others or help others. Because I know all of you care and help others and I thank you for that. Life is hard, it's true. It can be difficult and frustrating, but in times of unhappiness, trust me, happiness is to come.

Chuckie, you're like 2 or something.

Moving to the main question in this post. Why? We all ask it. I ask it constantly due to my excessive levels of curiosity.

Why did that man kidnap those girls?

Why did that woman kill her boyfriend?

Why did those men rape that little girl?
Why did those people bomb an area full of innocent people?

We can talk for hours about why these people (who in my mind don't deserve to fall under the category of people rather less than the scum of the Earth) did what they did. But remember that what these people do to other people is something no one can ever rationalize. I know it's difficult to accept because as humans we just want to know what would move someone to do such a horrendous act toward a fellow human. And be proud that you think that because that means that you would never do such a thing. However, there are acts on a much smaller scale that we commit. Like lying, judging an individual negatively, hurting someone's feelings. A few years ago I went through a difficult situation, and it filled me with hate and anger. It got so bad that I would lash out at people who weren't even involved. There are times when it still happens but I have a better handle on it than before.

When things get rough, talk to someone about it. I made a huge mistake by not telling anyone any of my problems until years later. And someday I will get the help that I need, but today is not that day. Find ways to vent. I personally vent by talking to a close friend, working out, occupying my day completely and by crying. I cry, like a lot. So many things make me cry and I'm not ashamed of it. I don't mind being considered sensitive because it helps me relieve myself of overwhelming emotions.

They made Pearl after me, because I am notorious for flooding buildings with my tears.

Just remember that everything will be okay. You are loved. You have people who care, love and wish to help you at all times. And if someday someone doesn't want to listen, maybe they have something that's bothering them too, don't hold it against them. You may always talk to me if you like. Trust your loved ones. They may not completely understand your situation, but the fact that they are willing to listen makes them awesome. Give them the benefit of the doubt and talk to them. Good and bad things will continue to happen, you have to remember that life goes on, and so should you.

Enough seriousness.

In reference to last week's question, my best / favorite feature of myself is my smile, because I like making other people smile. Smiling is contagious, do it more often. :) Plus, my smile seems bigger than my head.

See?

My favorite personality characteristic is my ability to feel for others. I like making people happy and I like being able to help someone however I can. Making someone's day or even 5 minutes of their day is the best feeling.

Question of the week:

What hidden talent do you possess? It doesn't have to be extraordinary, it just has to be some quirky ability you have that most people don't know about.

Have a great week! Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers and expecting mothers out there!

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Now that the beautiful and much awaited sun is out in all its glory, it's time to spend more time outside than in.
I hope everyone's finals went well and was better than this:

Now that finals are over and there is no more snow, we can do so many activities!

This past weekend, I went to Holland, Michigan to attend the tulip festival and it was AMAZING! It was so beautiful and it made me so happy to see how many people can come together over nature's magnificence.

I got to see tulips,

Look at those late bloomers in the middle. Just kidding. I feel your pain.

and people in Dutch attire dancing and I got to visit the art fair where I got this awesome necklace!

I really enjoy going on historical tours where I get to learn about the land, it's one of my favorite things to do. If you must know, I despise history taught in classrooms. Only because it's not interesting unless you can relate what you see in real life to it, like old houses, etc. I also really like museums, alas no one wishes to go with me.

It's okay, I understand. Not really.

There are things you have to do during this wonderful season. Like be happy and play outside, even if you're an adult. When was the last time you played outside?

I have a favor to ask of all of you, go outside, at least read or do some of your work outside, it's so nice and it's not going to stay forever. AND, the sun is good for you. Vitamin D. WebMD that sh*t. You know what, don't. WebMD will probably tell you that you have jaundice and will die of sepsis in 24 hours or that you're pregnant. Stupid WebMD... turning us into hypochondriacs.

This post is random I know, I just really want to be outside! I'm going to post more picture on Facebook of my weekend, so come see them!

Just remember, when you're sad think about how happy all the little critters outside are, and how happy the flowers are. Everything is buzzing and chirping and rustling and growing and being its beautiful self, so go join it because you are beautiful too.

Things to do on this

day:

1. Go outside.

2. Soak in the sun & get some of that vitamin D.

3. Smell the roses, literally, smell the flowers. They smell so niiicceee. The roses haven't bloomed in this region yet, I know. But I shall wait patiently in the shadows until they do...

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Sorry my loves, this weekend there will not be a post due to finals. I love you all very much. Stay posted, next week there will be one for sure. I hope everyone had a great weekend! Remember, hugs not drugs!

I hope everyone's finals are going well! Keep that chin up! You're going to do great and you're going to make me proud no matter what!